Built in the latter half of the 16th century by the daimyo Sanada Masayuki, Ueda Castle, or in Japanese Ueda-jo, was one of Nagano's major castles as well as a force to recon with and this primarily is thanks to the skill of Sanada Masayuki in war strategies and tactics. Destroyed after the battle […]
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Yamada Onsen is an onsen (hot spring) village located in Nagano and is famous for its many ryokans. Like many onsen villages Yamada Onsen does not offer much however, we could argue that this is what exactly what onsen villages are designed to be; a place where you can relax and enjoy nature in […]
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uring the Edo period, commerce between Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo) was made possible via a unique “highway” known as that time as the Tokaido. Being the economic lifeline between these two major cities, the Tokaido was monitored both economically and politically and featured many heavily militarised checkpoints. Rebuilt in 2007, the Hakone checkpoint was one […]
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oday’s video will be all about the Tokyo driving experience where we will drive from Toyosu, near Odaiba up to Ueno while driving across the famous Rainbow bridge, through Ginza and up to our final destination of Iriya (just after Ueno) which also marks the end of this section of the Shuto Expressway.
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orita-en or in english the Mortia’s Garden, is an old family farm located north of Tokyo in the prefecture of Saitama and just a few km away from the city of Chichibu. Belonging to Mr Morita and his wife, this orchard has been growing oranges, citrus and other mikans for decades! Sold across the prefecture […]
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he pinnacle of Japanese teen culture, Harajuku and more precisely Takeshita Street, or in Japanese Takeshita Dori, is a 500m long street featuring many trendy shops, used clothes stores, fashion boutiques as well as many Japanese crepe stands and fast food restaurants. Extremely crowded all day long, Takeshita Street is unique to Tokyo and really […]
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ocated in Kameoka in Kyoto prefecture just 12 minutes away by train from Arashiyama (also known as Kyoto’s bamboo forest). Ryotan-ji or Ryotanji is among the three major temples of the Rinzai Myoshin-ji sect. According to the temple owner, Ryotan-ji’s history goes as far back as 1480 when Sekkososhin VI of Myoshinji Temple in the […]
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ocated a little bit north of Tokyo near the Tokyo Bunkyo Civic Center and Tokyo Dome, Rikugien belongs to a group of nine parks in Tokyo managed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association. Thanks to a staff dedicated to maintaining this park, Rikugien is among of the most beautiful parks you can find in Tokyo. […]
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ocated in the center of Kameoka (Kyoto) you will find the ruins of the Tamba Kameyama Castle. It was built in 1578 by Akechi Mitsuhide as the headquarters for his attacks on the Tanba area. In 1609, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who controlled the area, worked in renovating this castle and used it as well as his […]
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hoso-ji is Horisaki’s second most important temple and as such is worthy of your consideration. Choso-ji was built in 1629 by the second Lord Nobuhira. Located in a unique district of Hirosaki and also known as Zenringai, the temple is surrounded by 33 Zen Sotoshu temples, most of which are not accessible to the public. […]
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he Hirosaki Neputa Matsuri is a magnificent matsuri held each summer from August 1st to 7th. It’s features some of the city’s most gorgeous floats featuring some unique Chinese and ancient Japanese drawings. Hirosaki Neputa is said to have originated from the Nemuri Nagashi, a traditional event set to banish sleep demons who make people […]
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ocated in Saitama an hour away from Ikebukuro, Heirin-ji is a Rinzai temple of the Myoshin-ji Branch. The temple was originally founded in 1375 in Iwatsuki city by Sekishitsu Zenkyu , also in Saitama. The temple was destroyed in 1590 during the attack on Iwatsuki Castle by Toyotomi Hideyoshi and then later moved and rebuilt […]
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